The NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence has released a new book titled Getting the Most Out of CRM: Best Practices for Wholesaler‐Distributors by Mark Dancer, president of Channelvation, Inc., Chicago.   
 
Experienced wholesaler‐distributors say Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is becoming a standard practice, and an essential tool for managing a high‐performing distribution sales organization. 
 
By following the advice offered by CRM‐experienced wholesaler‐distributors in this book, the author says distributors will avoid common mistakes, overcome predictable challenges, minimize frustration and disruption, and achieve more targeted benefits and faster business results. The book provides a "soup‐to‐nuts" planning framework, best practices from leading distributors, and ready‐to‐implement management tools for engaging distribution leaders and salespeople, the release says.
 
The book aims to help wholesale distributors by discussing how to: 
 
• Understand the current use of CRM by wholesaler‐distributors today;
• Identify the benefits that are most important for their businesses;
• Learn how CRM helps their salespeople, sales managers, and sales leaders achieve
better results;
• Be able to turn their transactional salespeople into growth‐oriented opportunity managers;
• Manage their sales organizations like they run the rest of their businesses—with metrics and a disciplined process;
• Pick the right CRM vendor and then implement effectively;
• Drive CRM adoption, overcome barriers, and optimize results.
 
Bruce Zwicker, president and chief executive officer at  J.J. Haines and Company, Inc. read the book and adds, “In this data‐driven world we live in, Mark Dancer has done a good job of communicating in a down‐to‐earth and comprehensive style what distributors need to think about in deciding how to implement CRM. The wisdom conveyed that CRM must have a strong sense of purpose to succeed is the appropriate message.”